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“THE STAR” Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - PAGE 59
UNDEFEATED Le-
ongatha came in as
red hot favourites
but went home with-
out the win as the
business end of the
season hit home on
Saturday.
The Parrots lowered its
colours to Maffra by 11 points
in the second semi final at
Morwell in a major upset but
unlike last year Leongatha has
a chance to atone for its ordi-
nary game on the weekend.
Finishing on top of the
ladder fortunately has its ben-
efits, with the double chance,
but the Parrots will need to
bring its “A” game as it is
now having to play Traral-
gon in the preliminary final
this Saturday at, guess where,
Traralgon.
The grand final loss to Tr-
aralgon at Traralgon last sea-
son is still very much in the
back of Leongatha’s minds
and they’ll have to work extra
hard now to make the grand
final.
Some would say Saturday
was the loss Leongatha had
to have. Given that it hasn’t
played much hard football in
the last month Leongatha’s
match on Saturday at least
gave it match practice in fi-
nals conditions and an idea of
where it needs to improve.
The early part of this
match wasn’t pretty with the
ball tied up in scrimmages. It
took a long time for goals to
be kicked as play oscillated
between half forward lines
and neither side able to score
more than behinds.
Maffra seemed to have the
edge but it wasn’t until the 20
minutes mark that it managed
a major and then two minutes
later its second and no one
could deny that the lead was
their reward for having more
of the ball.
Inside fifties were signifi-
cantly in favour of Maffra who
looked more dangerous as a
team passing the ball more
purposefully and cleanly.
The Parrots were handling
the slippery ball less deftly
and frequently turning it over
making hard work if it for the
defenders who were holding
up well.
Nerves were playing a
big part in the opening; Tom
Marriott mishandled the ball
into the hands of his oppo-
nent and the Parrots paid as
the ball was delivered to an
Eagle unmarked in the pocket
who goaled.
The game was played
in cool conditions with
the wind sock indicating a
strong cross ground breeze
which, mercifully for Leon-
gatha fans, may have contrib-
uted to Maffra’s inaccuracy in
a seven to three scoring shots
quarter containing the deficit
to just nine points.
Light drizzle throughout
the match saw those at the
front of the grandstand mak-
ing for cover further back in
the stand.
At quarter time Beau Ver-
non asked his players to do
what neither side had clearly
managed: own the corridor.
The standard of play
lifted.
Direction
from
both
coaches had set the game on
a new trajectory.
Cade Maskell snapped a
lovely goal to bring the Par-
rots back to within two points
and soon after he scuppered
his second through after play-
ing on from a mark in the
pocket.
Things were suddenly
brighter and Aaron Hillberg
had a chance to goal from a
free kick but scored a behind.
Hayden Browne was tack-
led bringing the ball back into
play after a Maffra behind and
was lucky to only give away
a behind but the ensuing play
resulted in a goal anyway.
Browne, playing very
well generally, gained 50 me-
tres from a mark at centre half
back, and had the opportunity
to make amends but the kick
was offline for a behind.
At half time the game was
poised on a knife edge with a
three point lead to the Eagles;
4.9 to the Parrots 4.6.
Less than two minutes
into the third and the Parrots
had the lead for the first time
in the match with a lovely
pass from Maskell to Hillberg
who goaled.
The lead was short lived
when Maffra replied from a
goal constructed from pos-
session football working the
ball forward to players find-
ing space.
Hillberg had a chance
from close range but kicked
the ball into the man on the
mark.
Another chance for Hill-
berg saw him loft the ball
high into the goal post.
Zac Vernon marked the
Maffra back’s kickout and
passed it to Hillberg in the
pocket and another behind
to level the scores. Another
chance to take the lead was
squandered when Browne
passed to Maskell who passed
to Vernon who marked then
missed from 45 metres.
The chances were there
but narrow misses were not
converting them to majors.
The Parrots had man-
aged to maintain play in their
50 metre arc but the series
of opportunities resulted in
little gain and finally the ball
swung to the other end of the
ground and an unlucky free
against Lochie Du Mont was
thankfully only a behind.
From the kick in the Ma-
ffra big man Trent Knobel
with the lion’s share of clear-
ances, edging out Ben Willis,
intercepted a pass and Maffra
scored the easy goal to go to a
six point lead at the 15 minute
mark.
From the middle it worked
the ball forward into the hands
of Maffra’s Kade Renooy 15
metres out, directly in front,
and a 12 point lead.
The tone of the quar-
ter had been set; the Parrots
had dithered and squandered
chances and when its turn
came the Eagles stamped its
authority on the game.
Three more goals and it
turned the home straight with
a five goal lead to the Eagles
in a horror period of the third
quarter for Leongatha.
Vernon made an impas-
sioned address asking his
players to dig deep.
“Show me how much
you want it,” he implored his
men.
Too many at the contests
he said; more spread.
“Weneedaliftoutofa
lot of blokes, we need to dig
deep.”
He told them to get their
heads up and take the game
on.
It was the last roll of the
match dice and he couldn’t
have rolled it better.
It was a coach’s six; it was
big and it was strong.
But was there enough be-
lief in the camp?
This felt like Maffra’s
day; it had felt that way from
fairly early in the game.
Whenever the play had
flowed it had seemed to flow
the Eagles’ way and when
they took a 35 point lead with
the first goal of the last quar-
ter it was soul destroying for
the Leongatha faithful.
The cheers from the Maf-
fra followers grew louder and
more confident.
A late rally saw Leon-
gatha pull the lead back with
four unanswered goals.
Verboon, Maskell and
Hillberg - no three players
had done more to produce
a different result to the one
played out.
Maskell’s was the third of
the four and reduced the mar-
ginto17butitcamewitha
Bronx cheer at the 27 minute
mark. Hillberg’s second goal
was sailing through at the
29 minute mark as the siren
of defeat rang out across the
ground.
The team will rally ahead
of this weekend’s preliminary
final.
There weren’t too many
Dunstall moments in the
match of players throwing
caution to the wind to risk life
and limb with hunger for the
football.
Maffra went in harder
-
few would doubt it did - it
was the team with the initia-
tive and the pennies fell its
way.
tthestar.com.au
FOOTBALL | SPORT
FOOTBALL | SPORT
The loss Parrots had to have
• Gippsland League Second Semi-Final
Maffra 11.11.77
Leongatha 9.12.66
Maffrra goals: S. Pleming 4, T. Jolly
3, M. Coleman 2, K. Renooy 1, K.
Porter 1.
Leongatha goals: C. Maskell 3, C.
Verboon 2, A. Hillberg 2, J. Hop-
kins 1, Z. Vernon 1.
Maffra best: K. Porter, D. Butcher,
S. Pleming, M. Coleman, S. Walk-
er, D. O’Brien.
Leongatha best: B. Willis, H.
Browne, A. Hillberg, C. Maskell, S.
Westaway, T. Marriott.
Clear run: Joel Sinclair has clear space as he
moves the ball on for Leongatha.
Looking forward: Lochie Du Mont takes a clear possession as he looks for options, Tom Marriott, left,
and Matt Borschmann, right, both provide assistance. Photo by domamato.
In possession: Brock Davidson gathers the ball for Leongatha as Pat McGrath
awaits at the outcome. Photo by domamato.